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In Black and White photography contest

In Black and White photography contest

Photo District News' inaugural "In Black and White" photography contest celebrates exceptional monochrome imagery in the categories of landscape, fine art, portrait and photojournalism with a Grand Prize of $2,500 cash, a profile in PDN and a $750 B&H gift card. Three category winners will also receive a $250 B&H gift card, and more.

What happens when color is omitted from a photograph? Compositional lines are revealed, form pops and the eyes are drawn through a scene in a focused, and often objective, way.

Black-and-white photography is a revered art form and PDN wants to reward those who make it whether it be analogue or digital.

ALL WINNERS will be featured in the online gallery, which is promoted on PDN social media and distributed through email with a reach of 500,000+. All winners also receive a one-year PHOTO+ Basic Membership, which includes subscriptions to PDN and Rangefinder magazines, discounts to PDN and RF competitions, vendor discounts, an online photography portfolio and more.

Enter between 1 and 6 images per category. When entering multiple images into a category, the images will be judged as a group and must be visually related. Deadline is October 10, 2018. SUBMIT ENTRIES HERE or click categories below.

WHAT IS AN ENTRY?An entry consists of a single image, or a photo series, in addition to an entry fee and completed data fields. You can only make one entry into each category, however that entry can be a single image or a series.

WHAT IS A PHOTO SERIES?A photo series includes two to six images that convey a story around a particular theme.

WHO CAN ENTER?The 4 awards categories are open to anyone aged 13 and above, of any nationality.

Any entrant under 18 on Wednesday 24th October 2018 must gain the permission of a parent or guardian to enter the competition. Entrants under the age of 13 on Wednesday 24th October 2018 are not permitted to enter.

You can find other eligibility criteria here

WHAT ARE THE ENTRY DATES?The opening date of the competition is Thursday 9th August, 2018.

The closing date for entries is 12:00 (UTC) on Wednesday 10th October, 2018. An extended deadline of Wednesday 24th October will be issued after October 10, 12:00 (UTC) with a 40% late fee increase per purchase.

The overall winners of the awards will be announced on Wednesday 21st November 2018 at 12:00 (UTC).

HOW MANY IMAGES CAN I ENTER?You can enter 1-6 images images in each of the 4 categories. When entering multiple images into a category, the images will be judged as a group and must be visually related.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ENTER?The cost is based on the number of categories you purchase an entry for. Buying an entry for a category allows you to enter between 1 and 6 images into that category. When entering multiple images into a category, the images will be judged as a group and must be visually related. Unused images bought for one category cannot be used in other categories. For example if you want to enter 3 categories, you must purchase entry into 3 categories.

HOW MANY TIMES CAN I ENTER THE AWARDS?Each photographer can enter each awards category once, using one Photocrowd account.

CAN I WITHDRAW OR SWAP AN IMAGE ONCE I’VE ENTERED IT?If the awards are still open for entries then at any time you can remove an entered image and enter a different one in its place. Once the deadline for entries has passed, and judging is underway, images cannot be removed or swapped out for other images.

DO I HAVE TO SIGN UP TO PHOTOCROWD TO ENTER?Yes, there’s a simple signup process to register on Photocrowd, which will then give you full access to ‘PDN presents… In Black and White’.

CAN IMAGES BE TAKEN ON A PHONE?Yes, images can be taken on any device capable of producing a digital image of sufficient size for entry. For full guidelines on minimum image requirements see the image preparation section below.

DO IMAGES HAVE TO BE TAKEN IN THE US OR UK?No, ‘PDN presents… In Black and White’ is an international competition and you may enter photographs taken anywhere in the world.

IS THERE A MINIMUM SIZE FOR IMAGES?There is a recommended minimum file size of 2500 pixels on the shortest side. Full guidelines on image requirements are provided in the image preparation section below.

CAN I SUBMIT RETOUCHED IMAGES?There are no restrictions on the use of digital manipulation. More information on image requirements are provided in the image preparation section below.

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE MY IMAGES FOR SUBMISSION?Full guidelines on image preparation are provided in the image preparation section below.

SHOULD I WATERMARK MY IMAGES?No, we will appropriately credit all winning photographers.

WILL MY IMAGES BE SOLD?No. You retain copyright to your photograph and the Sponsors may not sell your photo entry for a fee. All entries may be posted online so that viewers may view all competing entries. And winning entries may be used in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest for a period of 24 months from the date winners are notified.

FILE TYPEImages should be saved as jpegs at the highest quality available, with a colour profile attached. Either the RGB or sRGB colour profiles are recommended. Digital scans from film are also eligible providing they meet these technical guidelines.

IMAGE SIZE AND RESIZINGWhilst no image sizes will be rejected at upload, winning images will be required to be printed, and so must be of sufficient quality to allow this. it is therefore advised that images measure a minimum of 2,500 pixels on the shortest side after any cropping. Where images submitted are smaller than this, it will be assumed that this is the largest image size available to the photographer, and may affect that image’s chances of winning. The submission of larger file sizes is encouraged if available.

There are Photoshop and other image software tutorials online that show you how to best resize an image.

IMAGE MANIPULATIONThere are no restrictions regarding the manipulation of images using software or other techniques in these awards, provided that all imagery is the exclusive work of the submitting photographer and does not include any element that is the copyright of another.

IMAGE SHARPENING, NOISE REDUCTION AND COLOUR SATURATIONExcessive sharpening, noise reduction and color saturation techniques should be avoided. We appreciate that entrants will attempt to prepare their entries to optimise appearance and appeal on screen, and this may include these techniques. Excessive use of any or all of them can result in an entry that will be unsuitable for printed media and therefore become invalid as a result.

IMAGE DESCRIPTIONSWe encourage photographers to include a description about their work during the upload process. This is a great way to tell a story or other interesting facts about your image. The judges and the crowd will be able to read this while rating to give them insight into how you came about the shot.

METADATAWe would advise all entrants to add copyright information in the metadata of all submissions.

David J. Carol is a photographer, writer, curator, editor, teacher, lecturer and publisher. He recently retired after 25+ years as the director of photography at Outfront Media to become the editor-in-chief of Peanut Press Books. He is the author of four monographs and has extensively juried competitions and reviewed portfolios for major photo publishers and festivals.

Sharon Ber is the Art Director at PDN where she collaborates with editors to create the monthly magazine. Previously she worked at WWD and with fashion brands Kenneth Cole, Betsey Johnson and BCBG Max Azria at Geneva Watch Company.

Photo District News (PDN), the award-winning monthly magazine for the professional photographer, has been covering the professional photographic industry for over two decades. Every month, PDN delivers unbiased news and analysis, interviews, and portfolios of the latest photographic work. PDN delivers the information photographers need to survive in a competitive business—from marketing and business advice to legal issues, photographic techniques, new technologies, and more.

PDNOnline covers breaking news stories and delivers in-depth features on the photo industry, including interviews and profiles, reports on new products both analog and digital, and information on useful sources for professional photographers. PDNOnline’s photo essays and galleries explore the work of photography’s masters and today’s emerging talent.